Page 12 of The Engagement
Hillary squeals the moment she sees it. “Oh, you guys!” She leans over and kisses Rob’s cheek. “We’re so happy for you.”
We have a nice twenty-minute chat with them, answering all their questions about where it happened and how he asked me and what I said. I forward a photo of the park bench where I was sitting when he asked me. We promise to give them the wedding details as soon as we know so they can make plans to come to Chicago.
After our call with Mack’s parents, he grabs us drinks from the fridge and checks the time. “We’ve got time to watch a movie if you want. You can pick.”
“You hate my movie choices.”
“I don’t hate them. But I wouldn’t mind something with a bit more action in it.”
Mack’s phone chimes with an incoming text message. He grabs it and peers at the screen. “Haley is asking if she can come over tomorrow afternoon.”
“Of course she can. Does she know about the ring?”
Mack grins. “Why do you think she came over yesterday evening? It was to keep you company while I ran out to the jewelry store to meet Beth and Sam and choose a ring.”
He texts his daughter back, inviting her to join us tomorrow for lunch. We offer to take her to her favorite restaurant.
“I wonder if Philip’s busy tomorrow,” I say, sneaking a peek at Mack’s expression.
He rolls his eyes. “Please, no.”
“Oh, come on! The only time they get to see each other is when she comes here to see us.”
“Okay, fine. You can invite him, too. But if he reminds me one more time how many days it is until she graduates, I’ll wring his neck.”
Chapter 5 – Mack
It turns out that letting Erin choose the movie tonight was a big mistake. Instead of picking what she normally chooses—something along the lines of Jane Austen or a romcom, she goes with a super-popular action film, probably because she was trying to pick something she thought I’d like. I tried to talk her into something more lighthearted, but no. She insisted we watch a rather violent action film in a franchise she knows I like.
Big effing mistake.
We’re about a quarter into the movie when I realize we’re about to head into a shit storm.
Oh, no! No no no.
When a female character checks into a hotel, instantly my senses go on high alert. She takes an elevator up to her room and starts unpacking. I glance over at Erin, who’s staring wide-eyed at the screen, absolutely frozen.
As I glance back at the screen, the woman is walking into the bar on the ground floor. I make a grab for the remote lying on the coffee table. At that same moment, Lizzie jumps onto the coffee table and bumps my hand, which knocks the remote onto the floor.
Shit!
On the screen, some guy is hitting on the woman in the bar, offering to buy her a drink.
I’m reaching down blindly in the dark, scrambling to find the remote, but it’s too late. The damage is already done.
Finally, I locate the remote and start pushing buttons. “Hey, I’m in the mood for something different.” I scroll through our library of movies until I land on one I know is safe—it’s one ofher comfort films. “Here’s a good one. How about this Narnia movie? What’s it called?The Witch and the Wardrobe?”
When she doesn’t answer, or even acknowledge I said something, I glance at her profile. She’s staring dead ahead at the TV screen, but I don’t think it’s registering with her that I changed the film. Her chest rises and falls rapidly, and her nostrils are flaring slightly.
“Erin?”
She turns to me, her eyes widening. “Oh, sorry. What?”
“Are you okay?”
She shrugs. “I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
